Betrayal
by TheBananaChild
Summary: Sophia Dinoco has always been with her dad ever since her mother died. However, Tex remarries and even welcomes a newborn child in his life. Sophia feels unloved and thinks that her dad doesn't want her in his life anymore. Then one night, she runs away from home and everyone begins to panic. Will Sophia be found? And, will she ever be reunited with her family?
1. Chapter 1

It was an early summer morning. Already years had passed since Sophia Dinoco's mother had passed away. Her father, Tex Dinoco, still remembered that horrific night. She had remembered her mother, Katy went to get food for her family, but she never returned home. By 9:30, the police responded to their home and delivered the horrible news to Tex. She remembered being taken to her room by Strip Weathers and his wife, Lynda so this way Tex could be alone and they didn't want Sophia to know until she was old enough. Sophia was only a few months old when her mom died, but she still didn't know how she understood what was happening, or maybe she was misunderstanding the entire problem. However, she understood later on and since then, she stayed by her father's side whenever she could. And her dad told her several times that he would not ever leave her side. Sophia felt comforted by her father's words and felt secure. But that was about to change and maybe become a family problem forever.

Later on, Tex came into Sophia's room. She had been in bed for pretty much the entire morning and never came downstairs to eat. He was worried that his daughter was getting sick. He nuzzled his daughter and felt her body against his own. Her engine wasn't bothering her and her fenders were not hot.

"Sophia, sweetie. Are you feeling well?" asked Tex. The young Dinoco looked up at her father and didn't say anything for a while. She knew her father had felt this way ever since her mom died and now, it had worried her a lot. She finally looked at her father and nuzzled against his body.

"I'll be fine dad. I'm just...well..you know what I mean..." replied Sophia. Tex was sure that something was bothering his daughter. Not just the way she was speaking, but her face expression had revealed another different story.

"You know you can talk to me." replied Tex. Sophia just kept refusing to tell her dad anything that was bothering her. As an oil tycoon, businessman, and now a single father, Sophia always felt that telling her dad anything would just make him upset. Whenever something was bothering her, it would always be something that would bother Tex. Sophia decided not to tell him and kept her feelings inside her. Even though she knew she was suppose to talk to him.

"Dad, I'll be okay. Trust me." replied Sophia. Tex looked at his daughter with a dubious look, but gave in.

"Okay. If your sure." replied Tex, and he left the room.

Sophia checked to make sure her dad was out of sight for good. She could hear her dad going through paper work, and plates clinging as they were being washed. Since Katy died, Tex had hired several servants to take care of Sophia while he was away on business. Tex didn't really like leaving his daughter alone, but he knew she would be okay with them. They had been at their home for years. Tex prepared to leave for work and kept checking to make sure everything was going smoothly. When he felt comfortable, he left the house and headed for work.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that day, Tex arrived at work. Already, several of his staff members and employees were surrounding him with tons of paper work and delivery forms that had to be filled out. This was one of the things Tex hated about coming to work. He always would come to work and would be filled with tons of papers to fill out. He found it very stressful, but he knew he had to do it and it would't get done unless he did it. He never complained, but he had to set an example for his daughter. Even though she was still young, he had to show her that education and working hard was important, and so far he had been doing that. He would always tell his wife that education for Sophia and her having a good life was all that mattered to him. Ever since Katy died, Tex would always make sure he kept his word to her and he was.

Tex was working like crazy. He was tired and exhausted from going all over the huge business. All day, deliveries were coming and going and Tex couldn't have 5 minutes alone to call his daughter. He knew though that he would be able to go home as soon as possible and cuddle against her.

2 hours passed and Tex had finally been able to head home. He was worried about his daughter and wondered if she was okay. At least he didn't get notified that she was sick, or had a nervous breakdown. That Tex was happy about, but he didn't want her to go to bed without saying goodnight to her. He loved bonding with her. He had always made time for her and had many moments with her that were enjoyable. He finally reached home and saw one of the servants at the door. He came in and the servant escorted him to Sophia's room. When he went inside, Sophia was sleeping in her bed. Her pink blanket was covering her small body and her engine purred gently. Tex could hear her engine and smiled. He cuddled himself next to her and rested his tire on the blanket.

"My beautiful girl." replied Tex, "I love you." He kissed his daughter and left the room. Sophia heard what Tex had said to her and smiled in her sleep. She always looked cute when she did it. It made Tex happy and it made him know that he was being the father any daughter would want.

The following morning, little Sophia was still sleeping. It was 6:30 AM, and Tex was up and getting ready for another busy day of work. The housekeepers were washing dishes while Tex gathered his papers. He quickly finished getting ready for work, and then he went upstairs to check on his daughter.

When Tex got to his daughter's room, she was still sleeping. Her beautiful crown sparkled in the early sunlight, making her look like a real princess in the eyes of her father. He smiled and thought he was very lucky to have a daughter like her. He wanted no other girl except his own daughter. With a gentle sigh, he smiled and gave Sophia a gentle kiss on her fender and left her room. He went downstairs and grabbed his things for work. He made his coffee, and then left the house and headed for work.

The routine never changed at the Dinoco business. So many staff members were already getting tons of paper work and so many deliveries were on the schedule to come. Tex was use to the routine, but he always wished he could get a break for once. But owning a huge business meant no breaks, and Tex knew that business like what he was doing was very serious. Tex never complained, but he was doing it so this way he could set an example for his daughter when she was older. Tex never liked lazy workers and in the past, he fired several workers because of the lack of work he was seeing. He knew he was going to get hate for it, but the fans were always on his side and agreed with him.

The rest of the day, Tex was all over the place just like yesterday. However, the afternoon was expecting to be less busy so Tex was hoping he could go out for lunch with some of his staff and let everyone else have a break and rest for a while. Everyone was hoping the same thing as Tex was hoping for and sure enough, their patience was rewarded. By 12:15, the business had calmed down a little and everyone felt relieved. Tex called a break and gathered some his staff members. The others wanted to rest and have a break. Some of the staff members were hungry and decided to go with Tex to get lunch since he was going out for lunch. The staff members were deciding on where they should go to have lunch.

"Why don't we try to eat at the new diner? It just opened last week." replied one of the staff members.

"You know what's going to happen though, right? The press will be all over us and we won't get to eat or have peace at all." replied another staff member.

"Let's just eat at our usual place." replied Strip Weathers and without a word spoken, everyone left. Strip Weathers was the racer for Dinoco. He and Tex had been close since he came. His wife, Lynda also grew close to Tex and since they came, they were like family to him. In fact they were always his best employees and did good work. Tex agreed and Strip knew no one was in the mood to be swarmed by the press. So they left for lunch.

The diner where the staff members ate was not busy that much than usual. Within thirty minutes, the orders were placed and the food came. Everyone enjoyed their meals and decided to order dessert. Tex enjoyed the peace and quiet he was having, even though he knew it wouldn't last long, but he had to enjoy it while he had it and at least he was getting a while to be alone.

When everyone finished their desserts, some of the staff members decided to take coffee to go. Tex decided to get some and waited for his order to be done. Once everyone received their coffee, they headed back to the business. However, Tex wasn't looking where he was going, and bumped into another car and spilled his coffee all over her. She gasped and turned around to see who spilled the liquid on her. Tex gasped himself and the staff members were nervous as they were about to watch what was going to happen.

"I'm so sorry." replied Tex. "I didn't mean to bump into you." The young female car looked up at him and rolled her eyes a little.

"You should watch where your going!" she replied, "I'm in the middle of getting my lunch and then I have to get back to my job. No one will like seeing me with coffee all over me!"

"Well I'm trying to get back to my own job as well!" replied Tex, "and not only are you making yourself late, but your making me late as well including some of my staff!"

"Then just go!" replied the young female car, and she turned away. Tex rolled his eyes and left the diner with his staff members to go back to the business.


	3. Chapter 3

When everyone returned to the Dinoco business, Tex was very upset. He didn't appreciate what had happen at the diner and he didn't like the fact that someone got mad at him just because he spilled coffee on them. It was an accident and he said sorry. However, Strip told him to just let it go and forget about the incident. Tex knew he was right and for the rest of the day, he managed to let the incident go.

When evening began to fall, Tex and the rest of the staff members were tired and exhausted. Tex was ready to have everything locked up and head for home. Just then, the same car that he had ran into at the diner came in. Strip saw her and got nervous. His wife glanced at Tex as she watched him approach her.

"What are you doing here?!" asked Tex in a serious and demanding tone.

"What am I doing here?! What are you doing here?!" asked the young female car.

"I work here! Where else would I be?!" asked Tex.

"Home! Where everyone should be at this hour!" replied the car.

"I thought we agreed that we wouldn't bump into each other again!" replied Tex.

"I'm sorry but I never said that and it wasn't my fault that coffee was spilt on me!" replied the car.

Strip chimed in and tried to break up the argument. "Tex, we should go it's late. Your tired, I'm tired, everyone else is tired and Sophia is waiting for you I'm sure."

"Who's Sophia?" asked the car.

"And I don't see how that's any of your business." replied Lynda, as her eyes glittered dangerously at her. The female car rolled her eyes and finally left. Tex locked everything up and everyone went home for the night.

When Tex got home, he was still upset. Sophia was eating dinner, while one of the housekeepers sat with her. She saw Tex and saw his look, and took him out of the room to check if he was alright.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her concern for Tex wasn't usual, but this time, it looked as if he had been in a cat and mouse fight with a hacker who had just stole thousands of dollars from his business.

"I'm alright. I just had a rough day at work." replied Tex.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Tex nodded to assure that he was alright and the housekeeper followed him back to where Sophia was. She had finished her meal and another housekeeper had taken her dish away. Tex came over to his daughter and gently cuddled his body against her little one. His engine warmed her up and she cuddled beside him.

"My beautiful girl. I do love you." replied Tex. He gently stroked his daughter's fender with his tire as she continued to cuddle against him. Her soft purrs made Tex feel calmer and soon enough he looked down at his daughter and saw her sleeping. It was very late and everyone was tired. Tex took his daughter to her room and placed her in her bed. He kissed her goodnight and went to his room to get ready to go to sleep and prepare for work the next day.


	4. Chapter 4

As weeks went by, the routine never changed. Tex was always busy as normal and Sophia remained in the care of the longtime housekeepers. Sophia never liked being with the housekeepers though and even though they were at her home since Katy died, she still wanted to be with her father. Sophia hated what her dad did because he was never home that much and he still had a life to live. He had to be home. He was a father and he agreed that he was the chairman for the Piston Cup Circuit, but he had said many times that the most important thing he had in his life was having the role of being a father and reminding everyone that his daughter needed him. He had said that ever since his wife died and had always kept his word to everyone, but most importantly to Sophia.

Tex's day at work started out like any other day. Lunch breaks were normal for him and the rest of the day remained the same. Paper work, deliveries, helping Strip prepare for his races, and organizing files and taking business calls. However, the evening was going to be different from the past. Tex had finished his last stack of paper work when the young female car came in. Strip and Lynda watched nervously. The young car didn't look upset like before. Instead, she looked sad and a little bit disappointed in herself. Tex approached her very calmly and didn't scream or yell. Lynda and Strip continued to watch. The young female car began to speak.

"I'm sorry I got mad and yelled. I was just upset and I had a bad day." she replied. Tex smiled and spoke as well.

"I'm sorry I spilled the coffee. I did it by accident and I had a rough day as well." he replied. The young female car smiled back at him.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it. I just wanted to apologize for what I did." replied the female car. Tex nodded in agreement.

"Same." he replied, "how about I buy a drink for the two of us?" the female car smiled at him.

"Sure. I'd like that." she replied, and Tex took her to one of his favorite places.

When Tex and the female car arrived at the restaurant, the place was crowded. Lights were dimmed and waitresses were placing orders and carrying orders to tables that already placed their orders. Tex and the car were seated and began to make conversation.

"I didn't introduce myself. I'm Melanie." replied the young female car.

"I'm Tex Dinoco. You probably know me though cause I'm a popular oil tycoon." replied Tex. Melanie chuckled.

"I know." she replied. Tex chuckled himself and smiled back. Soon, the drinks came and Melanie and Tex began to enjoy them. By the time they were done, it was late and Tex had to get home to his daughter. She was probably crying for him and wanted him to be near her. That's how it always was for Sophia and Tex got use to it ever since Katy died.

"Well, I'd better get home. It's late and I'm exhausted." replied Tex. Melanie nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. It's very late." she replied, "so I guess I'll see you." Tex smiled.

"You'll see me a lot more." he replied, and left for home.

When Tex got home, Sophia was already asleep. Her caretaker, Kate, managed to get her to sleep. Despite the fact that Sophia never liked going to bed without Tex saying goodnight to her.

"How was she?" asked Tex.

"She managed, but she did cry a little cause she thought that you forgot about coming home and saying goodnight to her." replied Kate. "Why do you ask?"

"Normally she gets feisty when I don't come home. She doesn't like it and sometimes she'll demand to stay up late until I come home and say goodnight to her." replied Tex.

"I'm sure she is. I've been with you for years, but she never did it. She's okay now." replied Kate. "But why were you home late anyway?"

"I was hanging out at a bar with someone." replied Tex. Kate began to get more curious as to who that car was even though she knew Tex wasn't going to remarry, she was still curious and maybe thought that he had changed his mind.

"Who was the car?" asked Kate. Tex knew Kate a long time. She was always very curious and she knew that when Tex said he was hanging out with someone, it wasn't just any car, it had to be a girl who was pretty, sweet, and loving. Tex smiled and chuckled.

"It was just a girl. I decided to make up for what happened at the diner the other day and she agreed to it." Kate wasn't so sure about that response though, but she just brushed it off. Tex continued speaking.

"It was just a nice apology. It wasn't dating." he replied.

"Okay. If you say so." replied Kate, and she left.

Tex went upstairs to check on his daughter. She was sleeping and had her pink blanket on her small body. Tex kissed her goodnight and left the room. He went into his room and gathered his things for work the next day. His eyes glanced at a picture of his wife and he sighed. A solemn look soon appeared on the oil tycoon's grill as memories of his wife began to come to him. Tex began to question himself.

_What if I met Melanie for a reason? Should I remarry and decide to marry her if she's single? Sophia needs a mom and I need a wife. I feel that my heart is telling me something, but I don't know what. Sophia wouldn't mind would she? I mean she knows that it might be best for us and Katy would want us to be happy. But then again, I told Katy I would never remarry even if we divorced._

The questions began to disturb Tex, however he had managed to let it go and began to fall asleep for the remainder of the night. He was hoping that he would end up making a good choice. One that was right for him and Sophia.


	5. Chapter 5

As time went by, Tex and Melanie were seeing each other more than they thought they would. Tex seemed to be a lot more happier when he was with Melanie than before. However, Tex still wasn't sure if he should marry her or just stay the same like he was for a long time. Melanie decided that they should have dinner together and then go look at the sunset. Tex thought it was a wonderful idea and agreed to it.

When Tex arrived at the restaurant, Melanie was already there. She wore a beautiful crown on her roof and her tires sparkled with white and pink paint. Her beautiful paint coat shone like a pearl and she looked like an angel. She even looked more like Katy. Tex smiled and gave her a friendly kiss.

"You look so beautiful." replied Tex. Melanie smiled.

"Thank you." she replied.

Tex and Melanie were seated and placed their orders. When the orders came, Melanie and Tex began to make conversation just like they did last time.

"Do you come to this restaurant often?" asked Melanie. Tex nodded.

"I came here when I first started seeing my wife. We were in high school when we met and we stayed together ever since."

"So your married then?" asked Melanie. Tex remained silent for a while and then glanced at his wedding ring. Melanie knew something was wrong and quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." she said.

"It's fine. Just not now. I'll tell you when we're somewhere else. But in private." Melanie nodded and the two remained silent until the food came.

Melanie still felt bad about what she had asked Tex. She knew what had happened and wanted to tell Tex how sorry she was. However, she didn't want to upset him and make him more upset than he already was. When Tex and Melanie finished their meals, they left and went to the park to watch the sunset together.

"This was one of the favorite things I loved to do with my wife." replied Tex. "She loved the sunset and thought it was beautiful. I remember telling her that the sunset may be beautiful, but your more beautiful." Melanie smiled when he said that.

"She was beautiful I'm sure." replied Melanie. "What happened though? Why do you still have the ring on?"

Tex sighed heavily and gave all the courage he had to speak. "My wife died in a car accident a long time ago. She was bringing food home and a truck didn't see her. She tried to swerve away, but she didn't have enough time. She hit a fence hard and died right after the accident. She didn't even have time to get to the hospital and I blame myself for it. If I was there, I probably could've saved her and she still would be here. I kept my ring on ever since she died and I still have it." Melanie couldn't believe what she had just heard. She was shocked and it had startled her.

"I'm so sorry." she replied. Tex continued to speak more.

"Sometimes I wonder if I should remarry. I told Katy I would never remarry anyone else. She was my light, my angel, and my heart. Sometimes I feel I should remarry. But I'm not doing it just for myself. I'm also doing it for my daughter."

"I can imagine how it is for her. It must affect her a lot." replied Melanie.

"It's harder for her a lot more though. She didn't know her mom that well. Katy died when Sophia was only 3 months old." replied Tex. Melanie was shocked. This time she held Tex's tire for a while. The two cars remained silent and looked at the sunset. Soon night fell and they headed for home.


	6. Chapter 6

When Tex and Melanie arrived at Tex's house, Melanie was still holding onto his tire. She was still upset about what he told her and felt terrible for his daughter. Little did she know that Tex would be asking her to marry him and that would change everything. Melanie wanted to see what Sophia looked like and from what Katy looked like, she was sure Sophia looked as beautiful as her. She looked at Tex and began to speak.

"So, you have a daughter?" asked Melanie. Tex nodded.

"Yeah. I do. Do you want to see her?" asked Tex. Melanie nodded.

"Sure." she replied. Tex followed her into his home. Kate was there and whispered very quietly.

"Sophia's sleeping. She can't be woken up." replied Kate.

"Can I see her?" asked Melanie.

"Who are you?" asked Kate.

"I'm Melanie. I was the one who got into an argument with Tex at the diner a few days ago after he spilled coffee on me." replied Melanie.

"So, are you two dating then?" asked Kate.

"No. We're just friends..well okay maybe we're dating but we're just friends." replied Tex. Kate chuckled a little.

"Okay. If your sure. Sophia's sleeping like I said before, but I suppose a few minutes with her wouldn't hurt. Just be careful you don't wake her up or else she'll cry and it took me a while to get her to sleep." replied Kate.

"I'll make sure we're quiet." replied Tex, and he took Melanie to Sophia's room.

"So what does Sophia look like?" asked Melanie.

"She's really beautiful. She has a yellow coat of paint, pink rims, pink headlights, bright and beautiful blue eyes, and she wears a crown." replied Tex as he quietly went into Sophia's room.

Sophia was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Her small yellow body was covered with a light pink blanket and her rims were pretty along with her headlights. Her crown shone like a princess. Tex was right. Sophia looked just like Katy and she was just as beautiful as her own mom. Tex carefully took her out of her bed and gave her to Melanie.

"Want to hold her?" asked Tex. Melanie smiled and gently held Sophia. She could hear Sophia's gentle purrs and looked down as Sophia slept. Sophia had a little smile on her and Melanie smiled down at her.

"Imagine if we were married and we had kids?" asked Melanie. Tex looked at her.

"You were never married?" he asked.

"I was but I lost my husband several years ago. And ever since then, I just didn't feel the same."

Tex began to be silent for a while. He didn't know how to respond to what Melanie had said. He didn't imagine having more kids or remarrying. He didn't want to remarry and start a new family, but at the same time he wanted a new life. However, he didn't want to replace Sophia with a new family. Sophia was his family and he couldn't even think of replacing her with his possible other kids he could have if he married Melanie. However, he was happy with Melanie and Sophia at once. But how could he make a choice? And would the choice be a good one? Tex decided he should think about this decision before he made a final choice. He took Sophia from Melanie, placed her in her bed, and kissed her goodnight. Melanie and Tex went outside the house to get some fresh air.

"I felt the same way when Katy died." replied Tex. Melanie looked at him.

"How? You have a daughter. You still have part of your life."

"I know. But it's not the same though. Sophia doesn't have a mom and I don't want her to not have one for the rest of her life."

Melanie understood Tex's reason and knew his choice wasn't easy, especially if your a single parent then it was even more difficult. Tex didn't want to replace Sophia or keep on living the same life he was living for several years. He wanted to have a happy life and restart not only for his own sake, but for Sophia's sake as well. Melanie cuddled against him and together they remained silent for a while. Little did Tex know that his daughter had woken up. She was looking down from the window at her father and Melanie with a suspicious look on her front. She went outside of her room and checked to be sure the coast was clear. Kate was cleaning dishes and the other servants were helping to clean up the rest of the kitchen. Tex finally gave Melanie a kiss. She smiled at him.

"It's getting late. I better get home." replied Melanie.

"Yeah. I'd better go inside." replied Tex.

"Goodnight." replied Melanie and she gave Tex a kiss on his fender and left. Tex smiled then headed inside.

When Tex went inside, he saw Sophia looking at a book while on the couch. She looked up when she saw her father approaching her and stopped looking at her book.

"What are you doing up?" asked Tex.

"Nothing. I was looking at a book cause I want to and I can." replied Sophia.

Tex remained silent and didn't say a word for a while.

"Who was that girl you were with?" asked Sophia. "Are you dating her?" Tex looked up at his daughter.

"We're just friends Sophia. All we did was hang out and that's it. Go to bed now its late."

"Dad..." replied Sophia in a protesting voice.

"Bed." replied Tex and narrowed his eyes towards the direction of Sophia's room. Sophia finally gave in and went upstairs to go back to bed. Kate came back in the living room and gave Tex a glass of wine.

"Sorry. I tried getting her back to bed but she refused to sleep so I had to let her be." replied Kate.

"It doesn't matter." replied Tex as he took the glass of wine from her.

"So, how did it go?" asked Kate.

"I still feel like I'm going to make a mistake." replied Tex, "I want to remarry, but at the same time I don't want to replace my daughter. I want to make a happy life for the both of us and I am happy with Melanie. She makes me happy and I make her happy. I just want the best life for her and me. But somehow I feel pressured. I want to remarry because I want to give myself a better life and I want to give Sophia a better life as well. I don't want to remarry just so I can start a new family or possibly have more kids. But Melanie doesn't have kids and she seems like she wants her own."

Kate knew this decision was hard for Tex and even though she wasn't married, she was still able to help him out as best as she could.

"My best point would be to chose what is best for you and your daughter. Replace the bad with good and change your life as you want it. It's your life and no one can tell you how to live it. If you want to marry Melanie, then go for it. I'm sure Sophia will understand, but it's best if you approach her slowly about it and still show her the love that you always gave her."

Tex knew Kate was right and even though she wasn't married, he could do whatever he wanted and he wanted the best for his daughter, not just himself. He finally had a decision and he was sure that it would be a good one.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to bed. I had a long day." replied Kate.

"Sure. Go ahead." replied Tex.

"Okay. Night." replied Kate.

"Goodnight." replied Tex.

Kate went upstairs to get into bed. Tex stayed awake while the rest of the servants went to sleep. He checked to make sure everything was done and went upstairs to go to bed. He went into Sophia's room and held her for a while. He was hoping that he was making the right choice for himself and his daughter. He kissed her goodnight and went to bed.


	7. Chapter 7

The following day, Tex woke up as usual to get ready for work. That night, he was planning on taking Melanie out for dinner, propose to her, and ask her to marry him. He was nervous a little and couldn't think well about what he had to do during the day. He was also excited to share the news with Lynda and Strip. They would be very happy for him and knew that he was making the right choice instead of living a miserable life like he was dealing with after Katy died.

During the day, Tex was going to head out from work and buy an engagement ring for Melanie. He wanted it to be beautiful and special for her just like Katy's ring was special to the both of them. He didn't care about the size or price. He just wanted to marry her. When Tex arrived at work, he began to sort out paper work and files. Lynda approached him and decided to check on how he was doing with Melanie.

"So, I assume your dating now?" asked Lynda. Tex nodded at her.

"We are dating, but I decided that I'm going to propose to her" replied Tex. Lynda was glad to hear that.

"I'm happy for you Tex. It's your life and no one can tell you what to do. But it's also important that your thinking about Sophia and not just yourself. I was always told to replace the bad with good and not look back at what happened in the past." replied Lynda and she left to sort out more files.

Tex was startled for a minute. He actually didn't believe that. He knew that he was thinking about his daughter all along and he wouldn't even dare let her out of his life. He never wanted her to think that he was pushing her out of his life. He wanted her happy and he wanted a happy life again. And he knew that this choice was a good thing. Kate told him it was a good choice and Lynda told him that he had to think about Sophia and he knew he was.

By the time noon came, everyone went to their lunch break areas. Tex headed out to buy an engagement ring for Melanie and would be back in time for everyone to continue working. He found a nearby jewelry store and looked through all of the engagement rings. He caught one from the corner of his eye and it shone like the sun. The ring was in the shape of a crown and it had small pink diamonds in it. The ring was silver and very beautiful. Tex knew this ring was perfect for Melanie. He purchased the ring and headed back to work. He decided that on the way home he would pick up some flowers and bring them to Melanie tonight. Tex was really looking forward to tonight and he was really looking forward to having a happier and normal life again. Just like it was with Katy.

The day was going by really quickly. Tex had managed to call Melanie and asked her if she wanted to go out for dinner. Melanie agreed and would meet him at the restaurant. Evening began to fall in no time. The sky was like one that was normal on a nice cool summer evening, but one that looked better than the rest. Tex headed home quickly and left Strip in charge of locking up the business. When he got home, he kissed his daughter and began to prepare for the big memory he would ever have for the rest of his life.

"Dad?" asked Sophia. Tex looked at his daughter and rested his tire on her fender.

"Yes sweetheart?" replied Tex.

"Are you sure your not dating anyone or possibly remarrying?" asked Sophia, "You promised me that you wouldn't leave my side ever since mom died." Tex looked at his daughter and didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to tell her that he was seeing Melanie, but he also didn't want to tell her that he was going to marry her. He didn't want her to be upset so he spoke after thinking about what to say to her.

"No sweetie. I told you I wouldn't let anyone or anything take you away from me. Your my princess and you always will be that light in me. I love you and I wouldn't ever put anyone else in your place." replied Tex. He kissed his daughter and headed out from the house to the restaurant where he was going to meet Melanie. He was ready to propose to her and give her the flowers he had bought before he came home. He had managed to hide them from Sophia so this way she wouldn't get upset. But all he could think about in the meantime was proposing to her, marrying her, and getting the life back he thought he couldn't have ever since Katy died.


	8. Chapter 8

When Tex arrived at the restaurant, Melanie approached him. She was wearing a beautiful crown and her beautiful pink coat shone like a pink sunrise. Her tires were painted a glossy white for the occasion and her blue eyes made her look like an angel. Tex smiled at her and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Hey beautiful." replied Tex. Melanie smiled at him and gave him a kiss.

"Your handsome in your own way." replied Melanie as he gave her a kiss in return.

"Let's go find a table." replied Tex. Melanie agreed and followed him to a table. Once they found a table, they sat down and waited to order their food.

Tex tried his best to not be nervous and excited. But he couldn't help it. He was still looking forward to the life he would soon get back. He carefully glanced down at the engagement ring while Melanie waited to order. He smiled at the ring then looked up.

"I have a surprise for you. Do you want to wait until we're done eating or do you want to go to the beach and look at the sunset?"

"I think I want to wait when we're at the beach. Whatever the surprise is seems like it's meant to be at a beach and in the setting of a sunset." replied Melanie. Tex agreed and kept the ring close to him but managed to keep it out of Melanie's sight until then. Soon enough, a waitress approached where they were sitting. She had a notepad and a pencil on her, preparing to take their orders.

"What can I get for you sir?" asked the waitress as she glanced at Tex with a pleasurable smile.

"I'll take a plate of steak and a side of sushi." replied Tex.

"Okay and for you darling?" asked the waitress as she finished writing down Tex's order.

"I'll take a plate of shrimp." replied Melanie.

"Okay. I'll be back with your orders as soon as possible." replied the waitress and she drove away.

Melanie was really excited about her surprise that Tex had for her. She wondered what the surprise was and wanted to find out right away.

"What's the surprise you have for me?" asked Melanie. Tex smiled and gave her a kiss.

"I can't tell you or else it won't be a surprise." replied Tex, "You'll have to wait and see when we get to the beach."

"Can I have a hint?"

"No."

"Just a tiny peek at my surprise?"

"No."

Melanie finally gave in and stopped asking. She knew it was hard to wait for a surprise and Tex understood as well. However, waiting could sometimes be exciting because your waiting for something that you want. Melanie understood that a lot and didn't bother Tex anymore. Just then, their orders of food came and Tex and Melanie began to eat. At one point, Tex let out a piece of sushi to Melanie with chopsticks he had received. She giggled, smiled, then ate it.

"I love you." replied Melanie.

"I love you to." replied Tex, as he gave her a light felt kiss.

Once they were done with their meals, Melanie and Tex paid for their orders then headed for the beach. Once they got there, Tex looked for the best spot where he could propose to Melanie. He wanted the setting to be as special as possible. After looking for a while, Tex finally found a good spot and Melanie parked beside him. The sunset looked so beautiful as it reflected on the water. Melanie thought it was the most beautiful sight she ever saw. She smiled at Tex and gave him a kiss.

"It's beautiful." replied Melanie. Tex smiled at her and returned a kiss.

"It may be beautiful, but your more beautiful than the sunset." replied Tex. Melanie smiled and nuzzled beside him.

Tex began to prepare himself for his surprise. He was nervous, but knew he had to remain calm. He took the ring out very gently and signaled Melanie to look at him. She was confused, but remained her eyes focused on him.

"Melanie, we have been together for a while now and even though it hasn't been that long, I think I've finally found out what I want to do with the rest of my life. Your eyes are beautiful and you've changed my life for the better. I realized that no one could make me happier but you. Your my angel and my only true love. So will you make me even more happier...and marry me?"

Melanie gasped and couldn't believe what she had been told. Tears fell out of her eyes with joy and she began to speak.

"Yes. Yes of course."

Tex placed the ring on Melanie's tire and kissed her. He was so happy that he felt speechless for a while. Melanie smiled and gave him a kiss. She placed a tire on Tex's fender while they parked beside each other and watched as the sunset began to touch the water. When night began to fall, they headed for home.


	9. Chapter 9

When Tex and Melanie came home, they remained outside for a while. Melanie was still shocked and couldn't believe she was getting another second chance of life. Tex had the same feelings to and for a single parent, he knew he was making the right choice for him and Sophia. He couldn't wait until he would be waiting for her coming down to the isle on their wedding day. He also couldn't wait until he could start a new life and a new family. He was hoping Sophia would love the fact that her life was going to change for the better. However, if he wanted the day to be special for everyone, he had to start planning right away. He kissed Melanie goodnight and went inside.

"So did you propose to Melanie?" asked Kate. Tex nodded in excitement.

"I did. I'm happy I did and hopefully, I will be able to get a second chance of life and Sophia will have a mother." replied Tex. Kate knew how excited Tex was. She knew how much Tex wanted to change his life as much as he could and she was going to help him plan for his wedding and honeymoon. Tex agreed to let her help and went off to make plans.

The next few weeks were busy. Kate agreed to help Tex arrange plans for the wedding. A special wedding cake was already being prepared while decorations were taken care of.

On the day of the wedding ceremony, everything was ready. The decorations were beautiful and the cake looked delicious.

"Everything looks so beautiful." Replied Lynda. "You have the best creative ideas ever."

Kate chuckled a little. "I get that talent from my sister. I feel that we should've gotten help from her. I feel I didn't do that much brightness to them."

"Nonsense. I think it looks just as good as your sister does it." Replied Lynda.

"You've seen my sister do decorating?" Asked Kate.

"Yeah. I have. She did my wedding decorations when I married Strip." Replied Lynda.

"Right I forgot about that." Replied Kate. The two cars laughed for a while then went back to decorating.

Sophia eventually found out that her father was remarrying and she didn't like it at all. She thought she was his princess, his light, and his world. Now she was being replaced by some car who wouldn't want her. In fact, Sophia didn't even care. She didn't want this new girl in her life anyway and as soon as she could she would somehow get her dad back and have him to herself. Besides the new girl would be her step mother and not her real mother so it didn't matter at all to her.

However, Sophia didn't realize that this was only the beginning of the worst.


	10. Chapter 10

The wedding ceremony was now underway. Everyone was ready. Especially Tex and Melanie. Everyone began to take their seats and the ceremony began to start.

Melanie came from the back and began to head down the isle. She was wearing a white paint job, a beautiful white wedding veil, and her tires were a sparkling light pink color. She looked very beautiful.

Tex was up at the front of the isle, watching Melanie. He gave her a gentle smile and she smiled back. Sophia was sitting next to Lynda. She was wearing a light pink bow and a white paint job. She watched as Melanie approached the front of the isle and watched as her father gave Melanie a gentle light felt kiss. She rolled her eyes at this sight, knowing that he had broken his promise to her.

The priest came out and went between the two cars. He began to speak and then finally read Tex his vows that he would say to Melanie.

"Tex. As a husband to Melanie, will you honor her, respect her , protect her, cherish her, and love her at all times?"

"I do." Replied Tex. He smiled for a brief moment at Melanie.

"Melanie. Will you honor your husband, protect him, cherish him, respect him, and love him at all times?"

"I do." Replied Melanie.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." Replied the priest. "You May kiss your bride."

Tex kissed Melanie. He smiled and nuzzled her as she rested a tired on his fender.

Following the ceremony, a party was in place. Tex and Melanie nuzzled each other while everyone else congratulated them. Sophia wasn't happy at all. She wanted her dad all to herself and her dad promised her that he would never replace her and now he was breaking his promise.

After the celebrations died down, it was back to normal or so it would be for a while. Tex headed back to work and Melanie remained home along with Sophia. However, things were about to take a turbulent turn. And it would have anger, reconciling, and family that would be tested during this event.


	11. Chapter 11

Melanie had always wanted to start a family and thought she would never have the chance to have one. However her patience was soon over. She had gone to the bathroom after dealing with pain in her belly. She stayed there for a while and then called Lynda.

"Melanie? What's up, are you okay?"

"Lynda, do you think Tex can come home? I have something to tell him."

"Sure. I'll go and tell him."

"Thank you."

Tex headed home after he found out his wife wasn't okay. He was concerned and worried that something bad had happened to her. He finally arrived home and went to see Melanie.

"Melanie. Are you okay?" He gave her a little kiss on her fender. She smiled at him and placed a tire on her belly. He heard a little heartbeat and knew what it meant.

"I'm pregnant" Replied Melanie. Tex was so happy. He knew how much Melanie wanted a family and he was excited about changing his life. He smiled, kissed his newly wife, and gently placed a tire on Melanie's belly while her baby gently kicked. She smiled and nuzzled him. Sophia couldn't believe what she was now going to endure. Having a new sibling was not on her list. She wanted to be an only child and wanted her father all to herself. Now she was really losing the attention she had before all of this happened. Anger began to fill inside her engine, along with rejection and jealousy. She slightly cried and went into her room. All night long, Tex and Melanie snuggled each other and bonded with their baby. Tex would kiss her belly and her baby would snuggle gently while he kissed her.

During the next few weeks Melanie began to feel her baby more and more. Soon she was going to see what the baby's gender would be. Tex was very excited however, he didn't realize how much he had hurt his daughter.

Sophia cried in her room. She couldn't believe what her father had done to her. He was replacing his wife, his daughter, and he had broken his promise to her. Sophia felt like her father had thrown her out of his life and wanted a new family. Lynda heard her cries and came into her room. She parked herself next to Sophia's bed. Sophia looked up at her and the conversation began.

"I don't want her! She's not my mother! She's my stepmother and even worse, she's pregnant. My dad doesn't want me anymore. He wants a new family." Replied Sophia. Her eyes were filled with tears as Lynda snuggled against her, wanting to comfort her.

"I know you didn't want him to remarry hon. But I think it just needs time and patience. I'm sure it's not what you think. Just give it time and maybe it'll be better soon."

"Why did he remarry anyway? What's wrong with it just being the two of us? I liked it that way." Replied Sophia.

"I know that it was always the two of you after your mom died. However it'll be ok." Replied Lynda, "Your dad will still love you. He always will."

"I think it was just a lie. He said that just so I could believe him and then he would remarry."

Lynda decided to leave Sophia alone for a while. She felt that maybe she should have sometime to think it over. Lynda closed Sophia's room door and headed downstairs to get coffee.

Melanie and Tex left the house to find out what the baby's gender was. When they got to the hospital, they were escorted into a room and Melanie laid down on a bed. Next to the bed was a monitor and a speaker. This would be used to see the baby and get the baby's heartbeat. Soon Doc Hudson came in. He was the doctor of Radiator Springs, crew chief of Lightning McQueen, and the town's judge.

"Alright. Let's have a look at your baby." Replied Doc. He placed the speaker on Melanie's belly. The baby's heartbeat echoed through the room. She gently breathed while Tex held her tire. He smiled at her while she placed a tire on his fender and watched as she placed his tire on the left side her belly and began to breathe

"It's a girl." Replied Doc. "And even better, this baby is a princess." He showed the monitor to Tex and Melanie. She smiled and kissed Tex. He couldn't believe the baby was going to be a princess. One that would be special. However, this was definitely going to make Sophia push past her limits even more.

As weeks continued on, the pain got worse. Sometimes it wouldn't calm down and Tex was trying his hardest. On hard work days he would come home stressed out and had to try to calm himself. Otherwise he would upset Melanie and her baby.

When morning came, Tex was already up. Preparing his coffee, breakfast, and papers for the day. Melanie was laying down. She was still in her pregnancy term and in a few more weeks, she was expecting her baby. Tex gave her a kiss and left for work.

When he arrived at the business, it was the normal routine. Deliveres, forms, phone calls, the works. Tex never complained about it and knew this was normal. By noon, everyone took their lunch breaks and relaxed. Tex was eating his lunch and looking through forms. He had sent the business survey in for the year a few weeks ago and glanced at the copy. Somehow it was always the same, but nothing new. He finally pushed the forms aside and relaxed himself.

At home, Sophia kept herself off limits to everyone- especially Melanie although Tex now didn't have time for her and he didn't even realize her anymore so it didn't matter. She didn't want a new mother. She wanted Katy and she especially didn't want a sibling. She wanted all the attention and wanted her dad to herself. She felt her engine fill with bile and rejection now than she ever had from the beginning. Her dad remarrying was a lot, but having another child was just too much for her. She continued crying and was close to running away from home and never coming back. She felt that's what her dad wanted and now he was asking for it.

Late that night, Tex arrived home. He was stressed out and tired. He had dealt with yet another business rival and he knew that pattern over and over again. None of them were pleasant at all and Tex had made many demands to his team to not go near them. He didn't want any of those leeches to get a hold of his workers. They refused to approach them and kept their distance.

By this time, Tex had enough. He was upset. Melanie came over to him and saw how upset he was.

"I've had enough! They know not to come near me or my staff members. That includes my family!"

"Shh. Your going to scare the baby." Replied Melanie. Her calm voice soothed Tex and he finally calmed down. Melanie held her belly while Tex placed his tire on her belly. He kissed her and listened to the baby's heartbeat while Melanie rested a tire on his fender.

"Aww. Listen to her. She's kicking." Replied Melanie. Tex smiled. He nuzzled his wife and began rubbing her belly. "What are we going to name her?" Asked Melanie.

"What about Fiona?" Asked Tex. Melanie thought for a while. Then spoke again.

"I love that name." Tex smiled. He was really excited. His second chance was becoming real. For a long time he was stuck and struggled many times. Sometimes he couldn't even eat. Later when years passed, he managed to move on, but he was still sad. He had his daughter but he wanted to change his life for the better. For a while Tex and Melanie began bonding with the baby. Every time she kicked, Melanie and Tex would smile at each other and Tex would kiss her belly. Finally after a while Melanie began speaking about the business rivals. She could tell he was still stressed a little but he had managed to calm down once they began bonding.

"They won't ever come near us." Replied Melanie. "Business rivals are just jealous and they don't have a life." She gently kissed him and placed a tire on his fender. She snuggled beside him and watched as the sun began to set outside the window.

"No they won't. I'll be ordering a restraining order soon. Maybe that'll keep them away. Your my family and my princess. My world. Including the baby and you. Your both princesses to me."

Sophia over heard what her dad had just said to Melanie. She was now shocked and now her limits were now pushed. She began packing her stuff and would head out as soon as she could.


	12. Chapter 12

As the day came close to the baby being born, the pain Melanie was feeling became intense. At times Tex would leave work early to take care of her. She wouldn't like it because she didn't want to keep him from working. However, his main concern was her and she understood.

"I'll be leaving work early. Let me know if anything happens."

"I will honey."

Not too long after Tex left for work, Melanie began to feel her baby and knew she was close to being in labor. She knew she had to call Tex and tell him to head home. She called Lynda and told her what was going on. Once Tex heard the news his wife was in labor, he rushed out and headed home as soon as possible.

As soon as Tex got home, Melanie was laying on the floor and holding her belly. The pain was overwhelming her and her belly was swollen. Tex held her tire and kissed her.

"You'll be ok sweetie." Replied Tex. His soothing voice began to overcome her, replacing the fear and pain she was about to endure. "I'm right here."

Melanie gritted her teeth and grabbed her belly. The baby was ready to be born.

Melanie began to push. Tex had a tire resting on her belly while she pushed. Melanie cried through the pain. She gritted her teeth harder and held her belly.

"Come on Melanie. Your almost there." Replied Tex. He wiped her forehood with a cool cloth and caressed her tire. She smiles at him and continues pushing. Melanie felt her baby coming closer and in no time her baby was born. The cries from the newborn baby filled the room and the nurse took care of Melanie and the baby girl. Melanie began to relax while her husband snuggled against her.

"You did it baby. I knew you could." Replied Tex. He kissed her fender and ran a gentle tire over her.

"Because you were there for me." Replied Melanie. She kissed him and rested a tire on his fender.

Soon, the nurse returned with the baby. She was wrapped up in a light pink blanket. She was given a bottle and a small stuffed animal. Melanie smiled and took her newborn daughter. She began to coo and purr.

"Aww she so beautiful. Hey beautiful girl." Replied Tex. He ran a gentle tire along his newborn daughter. She cooed and giggled happily. She cuddled next to him and began to purr. Tex signaled for Melanie to come closer and she did. They were all a happy family, but someone was missing and that was Sophia. However she didn't care anymore. She was determined to get her dad back and have him to herself.

Late that night, Tex and Melanie were bonding with their newborn daughter.

"She's so cute." Replied Melanie. "She's so little and her little tires are adorable."

"She's my whole world. I wouldn't want anyone else but her." Replied Tex and he gently nuzzled Fiona.

Fiona cooed and purred. Her little blanket covered her body. She was adorable and cute.

However late that night, Sophia would abandon her home and soon there would be panic, tears, anger, and reconciling that would have to be involved in this turbulent event.

When everyone went to bed, Sophia remained awake. She didn't like any of this at all. She saw her dad bonding with a child and a girl car that wasn't her own mother. She hated this so much and now her princess title was taken away from her.

"I'm the princess! I'm Dinoco's princess and I'm my dad's princess!" Sophia blurted out in anger and bursted into tears."

"It's time to make my move! He betrayed me so I'm betraying him!"

Sophia jumped to her wheels and collected her stuff. She had packed earlier so she could be ready when everyone went to bed. She decided to make it look like a kidnapping, even though she wasn't kidnapped. She messed up her covers and pillows until it looked professional style. However, she knew a better way as well. She headed downstairs to hunt for red paint. This was going to be used to make it look like blood was left behind. Heading back to her room with a can of red paint, Sophia splatters the paint on her covers, floor, and wall. She stood back to admire her professional work and with a smirk across her front, she headed downstairs and disappeared into the night.

The travel was rough, however Sophia didn't care. She wanted to be somewhere far from her family, even far enough from her town, community and home. She felt like she wanted to be isolated from everyone and everything that she was always surrounded by. Sophia soon figured out where she could go and headed for her destination.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, everyone woke up and began their daily routine. Tex gathered his papers, made coffee, and prepared himself for work. However, the routine was suddenly interrupted by a scream that came from Sophia's room.

"Call the police! Now!" Ordered Lynda. She had just finished getting ready to leave for work, when she saw the mess in Sophia's room. Her covers were messed up and to Lynda, the paint looked like blood. She panicked and didn't want to see the possible gruesome scene anymore.

When the police arrived, crime scene tape surrounded the room Sophia slept in. Photographs of the messy covers along with the red paint were being taken by officers. This had now ruined everyone's day and now everyone was in panic. Espceically Tex. The young oil tycoon was in fear and panic. His daughter had vanished and now there was a possibility that she wasn't alive anymore. From the look of the scene, Tex was certain his baby girl wasn't alive and it scared him. Aside from panic, anger began to build up inside him. He wanted to know why his daughter had vanished and decided that he would go out and look for her. The head of Dinoco security arrived. She was going to be the leader of the investigation and would help out. SWAT teams, FBI agents, and the local police were also pitching in to help find the young Dinoco.

The search began the same day. Tex headed out with the police and they began to look. The press would find out about Sophia's disappearance soon enough.

"Ok! Everyone listen up!" Ordered Lori. She was the Dinoco security chief and demanded everyone to look at her and pay attention. When everyone finished talking and directed their attention to her, she began to speak.

"Ok so as you know we're looking for Mr. Dinoco's young daughter. She vanished last night as the police told me. You all have seen photos of her I'm sure, so we know what we're looking for. Alright! Spread out and remember if you see something that might help us find her, let the police know including me! Agree!?"

"Agree!" Replied everyone in unison. Lori nodded her front in agreement and everyone began to spread out. The search lasted into the night. Everyone had their headlights on. There was no sign of Sophia or anything that could lead the group to her. Tex was beginning to feel hopeless. He tried to hope for the best. The only thing he wanted right now was to snuggle against his baby girl. That's all he wanted. And now he was certain he would never see her again.

When Tex got home, it was late at night. The young oil tycoon was very exhausted. He was going to spend the next few days, weeks, months, and possibly even years worrying about his daughter. He wanted to find her and bring her home safely.

"Any luck?" Asked Kate. Tex shook his head.

"No. I'm worried. What if something happened to her?"

"It's only the first day. I'm sure you'll find something in the coming weeks or so. You can't lose hope cause I'm certain you'll find her." Replied Kate. Tex knew she was right. If he was going to find his daughter, he had to keep a positive and opened mind. It wouldn't work if he was stressed and scared.

"Your right. I'll keep looking tomorrow with the search crews. I'd better get to bed. It's going to be another long day tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Replied Kate. She watched Tex head off to bed and then returned to the kitchen to finish washing dishes.

The next day, everyone resumed the search for Sophia. Even though it was the second day, Tex was still worried. He had no idea where she went. And he had told her many times never to leave his side or the house unless she told him. He wasn't happy with her decision and she knew she shouldn't have run off like that. The search went on into the night and there was still no sign of anything that could link the group to Sophia or her whereabouts.

"Well, we've searched two days now and still nothing." Replied Lori.

"It's only been two days. We can't give up already." Replied Lynda.

"I'm still looking for her. If no one will help me, then I guess I'll do it all alone." Replied Tex.

"No. I'm not going to take the chance of you getting hurt or possibly disappearing. Oh no. No way." Replied Lori.

Tex sighed. Lori was always very stubborn and probably one of the most stubborn members on Dinoco. But as a security officer, she had to do her job and protect every member on the team. Without another word, he finally gave in.

As the night wore on, the search group continued. Everyone was getting tired and exhausted. Some were even falling asleep. However, they didn't want to stop. They needed to find Sophia and bring her home as soon as possible. The more they looked, the more exhausted they became. Finally they decided to pack in for the night.

"Don't worry Tex. We'll find her." Replied Lynda, her voice assured Tex that they weren't going to give up until they found her. Tex did the best he could to give his best employee a smile, but she told him not to force it. She understood how it felt when your child goes missing and you don't know why. They headed home and went to bed. Tomorrow would be another day of searching.

* * *

For Lori, she continued her search for Sophia. She began tracking the possible whereabouts of the young Dinoco. Lori knew this job wasn't easy, but she wanted to do her part of helping Tex find his missing daughter and fast. She was able to get a map location of where Sophia's last whereabouts were. However, she had reached a dead end. The last location Sophia had been was a motel, but after that the signal had been cut off. Lori decided that this was a good place to start off once the search continued. She was going to forward this to her boss and then they'd talk about where to go next. However, Lori was concerned. Had Sophia gotten herself in danger? Was she scared? Was she worried? Lori decided that if she was going to continue to help with the search, she needed a good night's sleep. She departed from her computer, laid down, and finally fell asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

The following morning, the search party was preparing to resume. Lori had sent the location map to Tex and they discussed about it. Tex thought he was close to getting his daughter back. However, it wasn't until Lori told him about the dead end she had approached.

"Now what?" Asked Tex. "I had hopes of finding her now we lost the signal!?"

"I'm sorry sir. That's all I could get." Replied Lori.

The young oil tycoon lowered himself on his tires with worry. Anger and worry were both filling into his mind. How could this be happening. Sometimes Tex wished this was a nightmare. But it wasn't. This was really happening and Tex wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on. So many questions had filled his mind and he found himself getting distracted. It was Lori's loud commanding voice that sent him back to where he was. He shook himself out of his distractions and listened to her commands.

"Everyone, I know all of us have been working hard and I know it's only day 3, but I did get a possible lead to where Sophia may be. Last night, I found a map location of her last whereabouts were. However, I came across a dead end. Her last stop is marked, but after that the signal got cut off. This is causing us more anxiety than we first thought. I know we might've had high hopes at first finding her, but we'll do what we can. I'm proud of all of you for not giving up. Especially Tex. He's done a good job and I can't even imagine what he's going through."

Tex smiled sadly at Lori and then glanced back at the ground. After she finished speaking, Lori signaled for the search to continue. Tex was really hoping that they would find Sophia as soon as possible. The search lasted into the night as usual. Everyone was tired already so they decided to pack in for the night. Lori wasn't done yet however. She knew exactly who to go to for help. Her partner Robert Scott Sparks.

* * *

Robert Sparks was known for his incredible role as a security member on Dinoco. His sirens and quick thinking actions always work all the time. He was a sleek gray 1974 Mercury and had sirens on top of his roof. He also had Dinoco's logo imprinted on both sides of his body. He was sleek looking and his paintwork always glistened in the sun.

"Robert. I need your help." Replied Lori.

"Sure. What's up?" He asked.

"Mr. Dinoco's daughter ran away from home. He put me in charge of finding her along with a search group I got together. However, I can't get anywhere so I was wondering if you could help me."

"Sure. Send me what you have so far and I'll see what I can do. You should let Tex know that I'm going to be helping you out."

"Yeah. Tomorrow I think will be best though because he had a rough day."

"Alright then. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow Robert and thank you for coming in this investigation." Replied Lori.

"Anytime." He replied.

Tex remained awake all night. He couldn't sleep no matter how much he tried. Most of the time, he was angry and that caused him to not get any sleep. Aside from worrying. Melanie woke up to find her husband still awake. She went beside him and gently nuzzled him.

"Honey. Get some rest please. You've been stressed out a lot and it's making me worry."

Tex smiled at his wife. He knew she was concerned about him, but he wouldn't be settled until his daughter was found. He gently kissed her and then settled beside her.

"I know I'm worrying you. I'm trying to think this through. But I guess a good night's rest is the only way I can get through this. Alright, I'll get some sleep."

Within a few minutes, Tex managed to fall asleep. He had to do whatever he could to find Sophia before something bad happened to her. If something did happen to her, he'd feel responsible for it. Even though he had a newborn daughter, he still loved Sophia. She was his princess, his light and especially, Dinoco's princess. Tex was determined to bring her home safely, although she was going to get in serious trouble.


	15. Chapter 15

2 weeks have gone by and there was still no sign of Sophia. Everyone was desperate to find her. They wanted to bring her home safely and comfort her. She was probably alone, lost, scared, and frantic.

Robert and Lori began sorting through the information she sent to him. The same locations were marked when Lori had been able to track Sophia. But Robert had faced the same problem as Lori had. Sophia's current location could not be revealed and it was really irritating. Tex was getting irritated as well aside from anger and worry that was constantly robbing and gnawing his mind.

"How come we're unable to find her current location?!" Tex blurted our in anger.

"Sir. We're trying our best. Please bear with us." Replied Lori. Her assurance wasn't good enough for the young oil billionaire anymore. He was demanding answers and none of them were being resolved.

Meanwhile, SWAT teams were looking through parks. Sophia always loved going to the park when she was a baby, but no sign of her there. Dogs sniffed throughout rivers, grasslands, garbage cans, food stands, and trees to see if they could find any evidence that could link the officers to Sophia's current location. But nothing.

Everyone began to pack in. Nighttime was overcoming the city and the press were going to be notified the next morning. At least that's what Tex thought, but on the news it appeared.

"Tonight, we're learning more about the disappearance of oil billionaire Tex Dinoco's missing daughter. His daughter suddenly vanished just a few weeks ago. This happened just days after a newborn child came into her dad's life after he remarried following the passing of his first wife, Katy. We don't know anymore information as the police are trying to gain more. As soon as we get them, we will bring them to you. For now let's head to news in sports."

Tex turned off the radio. He sighed and closed his eyes. A sly sad frown appeared on his front and he could only think about Sophia. Anger still continued to grow inside him. And it would only get worse once Sophia was found.

* * *

Robert and Lori were at the forensics department, waiting in the lobby. They were waiting on the results of the photos that were taken the day everyone discovered that Sophia had vanished. Somehow, something didn't add up, but no one could figure out what it was. They waited a good amount of time until they were finally able to see the results.

"Well, this is strange." Replied the medical examiner.

"What is it?" Asked Robert.

"Turns out this red substance isn't blood like everyone thought. It was paint, but it looked like blood."

Robert and Lori stared at each other in confusion. How did someone manage to make red paint look exactly like blood? None of it made sense and somehow Lori felt that something was out of line at that point, but she was having trouble figuring it out until the results were given to her and Robert.

"Hey Tex." Replied Robert.

"Yeah. What's up?"

"You might want to head to the Dinoco business. We just got the results of the substance that was found in Sophia's room the day she disappeared. I want to see if this makes sense to you at all."

"Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes." Replied Tex. He hung up the phone and headed out to meet Robert and Lori.

"We'd better get going. I told Tex to meet us at the business and if we don't get there before him, he's going to think we went missing." Replied Robert.

"Yeah. I agree. We don't want him to be even more panicked. He lost his daughter and I don't think it would be any better if he lost us."

Robert and Lori headed out. They were hoping that this search wouldn't last forever. They couldn't do this alone and decided that extra backup would be needed if they wanted to find Sophia faster. Robert dialed a well known contact number and waited for the caller to answer.

"Robert? What's up?" Asked the caller.

"Finn, can you and Holley meet me and Lori at the Dinoco business urgently? I need help."

"Sure. I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Thanks."

"Who was that?" Asked Lori.

"They're old friends of mine and will help us find Sophia along with the police. They're experienced. We can't do this alone without them. We need them and they're trustworthy. " Replied Robert.

"I hope so." Replied Lori. "Come on let's get going before Tex freaks out."


	16. Chapter 16

"Robert. Lori. There you are. I was wondering what was taking you so long to get here." Replied Tex. He approached the two security cars. "What do you have so far and what were the updates?"

"Well we got the updates and we found out that the substance in Sophia's room wasn't blood, but it was red paint."

"How is it red paint it looks like blood."

"Well she probably did something to the red paint to make it look like blood."

"And what else is there?"

"Well, I asked some old friends of mine. They're experienced and I think they can help us find Sophia a lot quicker."

"Who are they?"

"Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell."

Finn and Holley arrived just as soon as Robert had finished explaining to Tex who they were. They smiled happily and knew this was some serious business.

"Mr. Dinoco, we were told that your daughter vanished without a trace. Is this true?"

"Of course it's true. My daughter is missing and I'm very upset with her!"

"Sir, we need to know this because we have to know what we're looking for." Replied Finn.

"I know. I'm just upset and stressed." Replied Tex.

"Robert, I presume you have the information." Finn turned to Robert.

"Yep. I do. We got one update from the forensic department."

"What was it?" Asked Holley.

"The red substance that was found in Sophia's room the day everyone discovered she vanished, turns out the substance wasn't blood like we all thought at first. It was red paint, but somehow she managed to make it look like blood."

"Well I suppose we can try to track her location." Replied Finn.

"I'm afraid her signal is cut off after a few location markings." Replied Robert.

"Miss Shiftwell knows how to get past that. Don't you Holley?"

"Yes sir. I do. It's really complex so I suggest you watch if this happens again." Replied Holley.

"Okay. Let's do it." Replied Lori.

Holley escorted the cars into a room. The room was dimly lit and it smelled like wax, but a comfortable smell. Robert gave her a computer and she was able to track all the other markings like Robert and Lori were able to. Unlike the both of them, she was able to get past the cut off signal and managed to see the location Sophia was at now.

"She's in a forest. That's why you were having problems." Replied Holley.

"I figured she was in a forest, but I didn't want to speculate right away." Replied Lori.

"Well. Now we know." Replied Robert.

"So what do we do now?" Asked Tex.

"Well we have her current location so now I think we can try and look throughout all the forests there are here." Replied Holley.

"Yeah. Let's spilt up."

SWAT teams began going through every single forest they thought of. Since Sophia wasn't found at any of the parks, they thought they'd have a shot at finding her in a forest. They were right about her being in a forest, but they didn't know which one she was in.

Sophia had been hiding from all signals. She was cold, scared, and felt rejected and hopeless. She had no idea how she was going to avoid being found by officers or how she could avoid being seen by anyone. She had heard that her father had been out looking for her and had hoped he would give up in time. But that wasn't the case and soon she would find herself swarmed by officers in a matter of minutes.


	17. Chapter 17

Already 3 weeks had passed by. For Tex it felt like more than 3 weeks. The young oil tycoon had been distracted for weeks following his daughter's disappearance, but he couldn't hold back the anger he felt. He had no idea where she was and he was about to give up until he would receive news that he thought he wouldn't ever receive.

Lori and Robert were about to call it a night. It was 11:30 and they were both tired and exhausted. However, they heard a phone call coming in and they couldn't risk passing it. This might be their chance of finding Sophia and bringing her home. Sure enough, they were right.

"Hello. Who is this?" Asked Robert.

"Hi. Are you from team Dinoco?"

"Yes I am." Replied Robert, "What do you want?"

"I'm officer David Ramos and I've got Sophia's location and we need you over at the forest on the northern side of California. She's there, but we need to act quick before she makes a move."

"Ok, I'll let Tex know right now." Replied Robert.

"Ok. See you in a few."

"Robert. You know where this is going right? There's going to be a lot of chaos and everything. I have a feeling it'll turn out bad." Replied Lori. She was concerned and didn't know how much time they had before Sophia could possibly make a move. If she did, then they had missed their chance of finding her and probably wouldn't be able to ever again.

"Trust me. We have to hurry though. I'll send Tex the message while we're on the way to the forest." Replied Robert.

"Ok. Let's go before we lose her though."

The two security officers hurried to the forest where Sophia was located. Robert informed Tex while they were on the way and told him to hurry as well. The news media was informed and police helicopters were swarming the forest where Sophia was. It was going to be a hectic night, but at least the search for the missing Dinoco would be over soon.

Robert and Lori had managed to get to the forest. The police were swarming the area along with police dogs and their headlights. Tex arrived and waited for further instructions.

"How do they know she's here?"

"Mr. Dinoco." Replied a firm yet kind voice. Tex turned around and saw a police officer driving toward him. He began to drive toward the officer so they could meet in the middle.

"I'm officer David Ramos. I spoke to your security team members Robert and Lori and apparently we had our department track your daughter and we were able to find out that she is somewhere in this forest."

"Please find her soon. I'm scared and I just want her home!" Replied Tex. His anger began boiling more and more and Lynda had to try her hardest to calm him down. She was trying to help out so Melanie could focus more on the baby. But she wasn't sure how long it would last however, she felt like it was going to be over soon and she had been saying that to Tex to try and help him feel better. He managed, but Lynda understood how he felt.

Sophia had been crying the past few weeks she was in the forest. She was wet, tired, scared, filthy, and had felt a pain of rejection. She began thinking about all the good times she had with her father and how he had made her his princess. Now her title was taken away from her. Like a precious jewel that she wanted to hold on forever throughout her entire life. However, she stopped crying and heard a loud sound. To her it sounded like an airplane, but as she was able to look at the shape more, she realized it was a helicopter and she knew what this meant.

"My dad! He's looking for me and he has the police with him to! I have to get out of here now!" Sophia began freaking out, but at the same time, she began collecting her stuff and headed deeper into the woods, or so she thought.

Sophia began to make her journey again. She could hear the distant sound of wailing sirens that were cutting through the night. She wanted to escape the forest for good, but she didn't want to take the chance of possibly going the wrong way and then landing into the tires of her father and the police. Within minutes, Sophia managed to find a spot to stay. It was a rough journey, but Sophia didn't care. All she wanted was to have her dad to herself and get the attention she once had when it was just the two of them.

Suddenly, she felt a glowing light shining on her. It was the light from the helicopter. She began screaming and tried to run away, but it was too late for her to move. All of a sudden, police officers and SWAT teams began swarming her along with the police dogs. She was totally frightened and didn't know where to go or what to do. Suddenly she saw her father coming from behind one of the officers. Now she was freaking out at this point and tried running away, but her father didn't allow her any chances of running. He grabbed her by her tire and began giving her his fierce and harsh grip. Sophia began to scream and cry. The pain continued to hurt her more and more. She began squirming and tried everything she could to break free from Tex's grip, but unfortunately she was too little and her father had a harsh grip on her. There was no way Tex was allowing his daughter to run away ever again. He began to yell at her and he was still holding onto her.

"Sophia! Stop now!" Replied Tex. Her cries were no match and finally, the police stepped in. One of the officers offered to carry Sophia out of the woods, but Tex refused. All through the journey out of the forest, the police used their headlights and guided Tex and Sophia out. However it wasn't easy and Sophia kept squirming whenever she felt like she could. At one point she pushed herself from her father's grip, and the struggle continued.

"Your hurting me! Let me go!" Sophia's crying was something Tex continued to ignore. Having enough of Sophia's behavior, he has no other choice, but to grasp her tire even harder than before. Her blood curdling cries filled the night and it was hard getting her out of the forest. Once everyone managed to get Sophia and Tex out of the forest, the struggle wore on and on.

"Stop hurting me!" Sophia replied. Her constant yelling and back talking was only making Tex even more angry. He never liked his daughter back talking him. He continued grasping her with his tire, refusing to let her go.

"Stop with the attitude now! Your in serious trouble when we get home!"

"I said stop hurting me!" Sophia struggles to break free from her father's grip, but he continues holding on. Finally having enough, the young oil tycoon picks up his daughter and carries her to a waiting police vehicle. Sophia begins to cry and squirm, making it harder for her father to hold her. Tex ignores his daughter's cries and refuses to show affection for her. Once they got into the vehicle, Tex settles his daughter down and once again just as he had been doing from the start, he grabs Sophia's tire with his usual harsh grip. Cameras from the media began flashing like crazy and Sophia began getting scared. Officers soon block the vehicle and began pushing the camera crews away. A dramatic scene began unfolding and Lynda, Strip, Kate, and Melanie were all watching on the news.

Sophia's cries were no match for her father. Officers began to prepare a medicine for her that would calm her down. However, she refused to take it and when the medicine was offered to her, she began squirming and freaking out. Her father continued to grasp her. She continues crying and managed to knock the medicine onto the floor, creating a huge mess. Tex finally picks her up once more.

"Put me down!" Sophia screams and cries while her father continues ignoring her. She begins crying for Katy, wanting her to come and snuggle against her. All of this drama had caused Sophia to cry nonstop and for Tex it only caused him more stress and anger.

"I've had enough. How dare you betray me! I told you to never leave my side ever and yet you dare do it!" Tex's anger flared even more and this caused Sophia to shake and tremble.

"I don't care if I betray you! I hate everything and you betrayed me as well! I don't care!" Sophia manages to escape her father's grip and immediately tries running away however her father's demanding and angry tone sends a chill through her engine.

"You come here right this minute! Come here now!" Tex gritted his teeth in anger. Sophia refuses to obey her father's commands, causing him to have no choice but to get her.

"Stop!" Replied Sophia. Tex's anger was pushed to his limit and losing his temper he flings his tire at his daughter and hits her. She falls to the ground and cries even harder. Tex picks her up and holds her, while the police escort them home. Cameras continued rolling until the vehicle disappeared. The media would be hearing an update from the police as soon as possible. Lynda, Strip, Kate, and Melanie were shocked at what Tex had done to Sophia. He had never hit her like that before and had only used his strict and serious tone.

During the ride, Tex had sent a message to Lynda asking her to have Kate prepare everything for Sophia. He didn't want to be near her for the rest of the night and would leave Kate in charge of taking care of her along with Lynda's assistance. Lynda agreed to help out with Sophia and began helping Kate prepare everything for her once she got home.


	18. Chapter 18

When Sophia and Tex arrived home, Sophia was still crying. Her father continued yelling at her and had hit her with his tire once more. Sophia was tired and her cries were constantly being ignored. Kate immediately went toward Tex to take Sophia from him. When she tried, Sophia continued screaming and crying.

"Don't take me! I want to stay with dad!" Sophia tried clinging onto her father, but he refused to stay with her. Having enough of the nonsense, he pushes his daughter off of him and hands her over to Kate's attention. Sophia watches as her father goes to Melanie and leaves with her. Seeing this made Sophia reach out toward her father's direction, wanting him to snuggle and comfort her. But he was in no mood to give her attention and it had made her angry.

"It's okay sweetheart. Your father needs time alone. Come on I'll take you to get washed up and then I'll tuck you into bed." Kate escorted the young Dinoco into the bathroom and turned on the water. Meanwhile, Lynda arranged Sophia's room and went to get clean sheets, covers, blankets, and a pillow case. Kate had the shampoo, towels, and a sponge ready just as soon as she received Tex's message. Within minutes, Sophia calmed down and began to relax as the warm water soaked her little body. She gently purrs and playfully jumps in the water. Kate chuckles and places a toy ball in the water for her.

"Nice and clean you'll be. You'll feel better soon. I promise." Kate's soothing voice made Sophia feel calmer and more relaxed compared to how she was before. The soft towel gently covered Sophia's body while Kate dried her up. Within a few minutes, Sophia was back to her original color. Her yellow paint job sparkled and the mud that had covered her completely was now gone. Kate packed everything away while Sophia went to her room. Tex came upstairs and saw her.

"Get her out of my sight! I don't want to see her anymore! She's worthless!"

Kate gasped and heard Sophia's cries once more. She found the young Dinoco crying and Lynda had taken her away.

"You shouldn't speak that way to your own child!" Kate screamed in a tone that could've scared anyone, "Your father would be so upset if he knew what you did to your own daughter!"

"I don't care! She's my daughter and I train her the way I want to train her! She's not my daughter anymore and I want her out of my life!"

Kate just turned around and left to take care of Sophia. She was outraged by what he had told her. For a while, she knew Tex wouldn't want to see Sophia in his sight. Sophia didn't want to see him at all. She knew what he had done to her and she wasn't sure she would ever have him to herself again.

"Lynda how is she?"

"She's crying. I'm trying to calm her."

"Well I don't blame her for being this way. Especially after what he said."

"Well sometimes someone can say something they don't mean and they only say it because their upset. Tex loves Sophia and we know that, but I think he just needs time to think things through."

"Yeah I guess your right."

Kate and Lynda continued to care for Sophia. She was crying every now and then and she was scared. She finally managed to calm down a little but still had anger in her.

"My dad doesn't want me anymore. Why doesn't he want to be near me?"

"He does want you. He just needs time to calm down. But don't think he doesn't love you. He does and deep in his heart, he still loves you." Replied Lynda, "We all know him. This isn't his normal behavior. It'll be okay."

"For now, you need rest. You've had a hard week." Replied Kate. She covered Sophia with a light pink blanket.

"What if he doesn't want me though? He probably wants his new family."

"He'll never let you go. Your his daughter and he's always going to love you." Lynda snuggled against her then kissed her goodnight.

Within a while after she was tucked into bed, Sophia managed to fall asleep, but it wasn't easy. She wrestled with the horrible thoughts and wondered if her dad would ever want her again. She began to think about how it must've been when Tex met Katy. She began thinking about when her parents began bonding when Katy was pregnant with her and even imagining how her father reacted when he found out she was a princess. In fact the memory began to play in her mind.

* * *

Katy and Tex were excited when they found out she was pregnant. For several weeks, Tex had taken a break from work to stay home with his wife even though she told him she would be alright. He never took the chance and he was always there for her. When the day came to find out the baby's gender, they were excited and couldn't wait to see the results.

When Tex and Katy found out their baby was a girl, Tex was really happy. However, when they were told their baby was a princess, it made him even more excited for her to arrive.

Katy and Tex began preparing for the baby's arrival. Katy began to feel intense pain in her belly. Whenever this happened, Tex would hold her belly and calm her down so the baby wouldn't get scared. He would gently kiss her belly and snuggle against her while the baby gently kicked and when Sophia was born, it was the most special day in their lives. Until Katy died.

* * *

Sophia was back in the present once the memory faded from her mind. She began crying and peeked outside her bedroom. Her mouth fell open in shock snd horror as she saw her dad and watched him as he held little Fiona and snuggled next to her. She saw his warm smile, the type of smile he had when she was born. She missed that smile and wanted to snuggle against him, but she knew he wouldn't want her near him. Melanie was with them as well. She snuggled against her daughter and kissed her loving husband. Sophia couldn't see anymore of the bonding she was seeing. She continued crying and went back into her room. She took off her crown and threw it into a corner of her room and after a while, she managed to fall asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

For several weeks, Tex had avoided his daughter and ignored her following the commotion that had happened in the forest. He was so upset and continued to focus on his wife and newborn daughter. This had hurt Sophia a lot and it tore her to pieces that she felt she could never recover from what her father had done to her.

During that time, Sophia cried a lot. She stayed in her room and couldn't stand hearing her father snuggle against Fiona. Every time Fiona played, Sophia would just cry even harder than before. Strip and Lynda didn't like this at all and they tried to calm Sophia many times.

"Sophia, can we talk?" Asked Lynda.

"What's there to talk about?! My dad doesn't want me anymore and he'll never take me as his daughter ever again! He wants Fiona not me! She's his princess now including Melanie! He took my title away from me!"

"Sophia, your dad loves you. Even though he's upset with you, he still loves you. Trust me sweetie. He'll always love you and you'll always be his princess."

Sophia came out from her room. Tears were covering her sides completely. Lynda gently snuggles her, wanting to give her the love and comfort she was desperately crying for.

"It's okay sweetie. It's going to be okay."

Sophia knew she had to be patient. She knew that her dad would always love her, but somehow she felt like it was now a joke to him and he didn't love her. She didn't think he loved her anymore not after the way he had treated her when she was found. She thought it was a lie, especially since Tex had started a new family. As the sun began to descend over the city of Los Angeles, Sophia glanced at the pink and orange sky. It was really beautiful.

When midnight began to come closer, everyone began to get ready for bed. Kate was staying up late to wash the dishes and Strip had to do some paper work. Fiona and Melanie were tired and headed upstairs for the night. Tex had to do paper work and needed to get a head start right away. When everyone else went to sleep, Tex started working. It was a long night for him and there was a lot of work that had to get done. He knew he couldn't stay up all night, but he wanted to get most of it completed.

It was almost 2 AM and Tex was still working. However, he felt like he couldn't move on and went into his study. He glanced at a photo of him and Katy. She was smiling alongside him and they were holding their newborn baby girl, Sophia. He glanced at another photo of him and Sophia playing in the park when she was a baby. She was so little and adorable and then another photo showed Tex placing a crown on Sophia, the day she was crowned as Dinoco's princess. Seeing these photos made Tex feel upset. He knew what he had to do and he was determined to spend time with his daughter alone.

Tex came quietly into Sophia's room. Her small body was covered with a light pink blanket. She had been crying for a while and didn't have her crown on her. Tex saw her crown on the floor and went to get it. Sophia heard the sound of metal against her father's tire and woke up. Tex immediately came toward her and picked her up. Sophia begins crying and begins to squirm. Her father gently calms her down and holds her with her blanket still covering her small body.

"It's okay sweetie. I'm right here. Daddy's here."

Sophia continues crying and her father begins to brush away her tears with her blanket. He kisses her and cradles her.

"I'm right here. I'm not leaving you."

"I thought you didn't want me anymore. You lied to me and I get it if you don't want me as your princess anymore." Sophia replies in a tearful voice. Her body begins trembling and shaking at once. Her father settles her on her bed and holds her tire.

"Don't ever say I don't want you. You'll always be my princess and my baby girl. No matter what. I love you and I always will. Your my daughter and my princess. I married Melanie because I wanted to make our lives better for us."

Sophia felt horrible. She thought all along that her dad didn't want her anymore and wanted a new family, but now she understood. She began crying while her father snuggled against her.

"I'm sorry dad. I just thought you wouldn't want me. I thought you wanted a new family."

"No. I want you in my family. But I want you to meet Melanie and I promise you that she'll love you as much as Katy did."

During the night, Sophia managed to fall asleep. She felt calmer and better and it had been a while since she got rest. Whenever she woke up scared or nervous, Tex would nuzzle her and give her a kiss letting her know he was there.

Dawn began to rise across the city. Sophia was still sleeping, but Tex woke up. He quietly picked up his daughter and went downstairs. Kate had finished packing up a small bag with a picnic blanket, a smaller pink blanket for Sophia, a bottle of water, two sandwiches, and a small ball for her to play with.

"This is good. Thanks Kate." Replied Tex. His voice was in a whisper.

"Your welcome. She's better now?"

"Yeah she'll be ok. I figured I'd take her to the park and spend time with her for a while before she sees Melanie."

"Will Melanie take her as her real daughter or will she be her step mother?"

"I'm not sure. Melanie is loving and I think she'll want Sophia to be her real daughter as well, despite the fact she's not her real birth mother."

"It would be nice. And I'm sure Melanie would want to do that."

"Yeah we'll see."

Tex quietly left the house and took his daughter to the park. They'd been going to the park ever since she was a baby. Tex figured it would be a nice place to start off fresh with his daughter, instead of just taking her to see Melanie. He didn't want Sophia to think he had replaced her. No. Tex wanted to be with his daughter and then once she was ready, he would let her see Melanie.

When Tex and Sophia arrived at the park, Sophia was slowly waking up. Tex settled her down while he began to place the picnic blanket down for them. Once the blanket was on the ground, Sophia took her pink blanket and covered herself with it. It was a cool and breezy dawn morning so she was cool a little from the wind, but it was comfortable.

Sophia snuggled against her father and began playing with the small ball Kate had packed for her. She began crawling around the picnic blanket and chased after it. Just like she had done when she was a baby. Her father smiled at the sight of his daughter. It brought back memories of when she was a baby and she would chase after it. She would giggle, laugh, and play with the ball. But at least he didn't have to worry about her leaving his sight, getting too far from where they were sitting, and possibly her getting lost. She was still average size and a little small, but not too small like before. Tex approaches his daughter and plays with her. She smiles and holds the ball in her mouth while her father snuggled against her. They continued playing all throughout the morning until it was time to head home.

During the next few weeks, Sophia and Tex spent more time together. Tex felt guilty about what had happened and wanted to make up for what he did. Sophia knew he was sorry and wanted to be with him more. When Sophia felt ready, she would be able to go see Melanie, and be claimed her daughter as well.


	20. Chapter 20

Sophia felt ready to go see Melanie. She had spent a while with Tex and knew that Melanie would love her as much as Katy did. Sophia wasn't so sure Melanie would want to consider her a real daughter because she didn't give birth to her. It did make her feel upset, but she understood why she would have to be called a step daughter. She just wasn't Melanie's birth daughter like Fiona. At least that's what she thought on her side.

When night came, Sophia was sleeping. Tex thought it was a good time for her to see Melanie. He was ready to talk to her about what she wanted Sophia to be considered to her.

"Melanie, I know we've been with Fiona and now I think it's time for you to see Sophia. But I want to make sure you were able to figure out what you want Sophia to be considered to you. Do you want her as a step daughter or do you want her to be your real daughter like Fiona?"

"I feel that I want Sophia to be my real daughter. It just doesn't feel right to have her as a step daughter and even though I didn't give birth to her, I still want her to feel that she belongs here. Your her father and she's your daughter. It would make her feel that she doesn't belong here with us and I don't want her to deal with more pain and suffering that she's endured."

Tex smiled at this remark. He knew Melanie would love Sophia and treat her like her own daughter. He kissed her and then spoke.

"Thank you for doing that. I'm sure she'll love that. All along she's feeling that you wouldn't want her to be considered a real daughter to you. She's my first princess and I don't want her away from me."

Melanie understood deeply about what Tex had endured a long time ago. Sophia had lost her mom when she was only a baby and it had hurt her so much. She didn't want to take Sophia away from her father and did it for the two of them. She smiled and gave her husband a kiss.

"I'll be right back. Stay here. I'm getting Sophia."

Tex went to Sophia's room where she was sleeping. Her blanket covered her small yellow body and her crown shone like a jewel. Quietly and carefully, Tex carries his daughter downstairs to Melanie. Once Melanie saw her, her eyes fell in love. Sophia's beautiful paint coat shone like a star at night and her crown shone like a jewel.

"Oh, she's beautiful. Come here my beautiful girl."

Tex hands Sophia to Melanie, while she begins to bond with her daughter. Sophia's little purring and cooing is no match for Melanie's eyes. Her love for Sophia came into place and she was never going to consider Sophia her step daughter. Never. Tex smiles and kisses his daughter, running a tire against her fender while his wife holds her.

"Would it be okay if I take her out tomorrow?"

"I think she'll love it."

Melanie snuggled against Sophia and fell asleep. When dawn began to settle, Sophia woke up and found Melanie next to her. She smiled and gently nudged her mother's fender.

"Hey my beautiful girl. Aww you want to play? Okay let's go."

Melanie picks up her daughter and they head for the park. Sophia began telling Melanie the stories her dad told her about Katy. They drove all over the park and stopped near a lake.

"My mommy is gone." Replied Sophia. Tears began to fill her eyes while Melanie looked at her with a mothering affection look in her eyes.

"I know I'm not your birth mother. But I promise you that I'll love you as much as Katy did. And even though I'm not your real birth mother, your still considered a real daughter to me."

Sophia hugged Melanie and snuggled against her. She was shocked, but happy. Before she thought Melanie would just take her as a step daughter, but after seeing all the pain and suffering she had to endure, Melanie didn't have the heart to take her as a step daughter. For the first time, Sophia felt a loving and mothering kiss touch her fender. It was a long time ago since she felt that feeling and now Melanie had replaced that feeling for her. They smiled at each other and bonded for a long time.

Reunion in the Dinoco family wasn't an easy task. But with some time and patience, things were able to get better. Sophia was happy and now had a mother. Tex was happy and had a wife once more. Even though hardships were faced throughout the changes, everyone managed to help one another and in the end, Sophia's title wasn't taken away from her and her father didn't take her out of his life. It just goes to show that family, love, and unity were all important and that nothing could've been done or fixed if those virtues weren't used at all.

**Okay. So this is it. My first fanfic in a while. It took me a while to get this done, but I think it's worth it. I'm so sorry for being gone, but my schedule will now be hectic so I apologize. However, I hope you like this fanfic and I'll see you guys for my next fanfic. **


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